Apparatus for waxing a thread

ABSTRACT

A thread issuing from a spinning apparatus passes around a drive roller on a rotatable spindle, then over a guide on an adjacent shaft. Thereafter the thread passes from the guide to a wax body carried on the spindle and rides over an axial end of this body. The spindle has an abutment defining a plane on rotation of the spindle and means is provided for urging the end of the body against this plane. The guide is set to the same side of the plane as the body so that the thread lies at an angle to this plane and rubs against the wax body. This guide may be a drum formed with a plurality of grooves, some lying in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the drum, and some at an angle thereto. The inclined grooves serve for an intermittent or nonuniform (periodic) waxing of the thread.

D United States Patent 1 1 1 3,890,924 Horstmann June 24, 1975 APPARATUSFOR WAXING A THREAD [75] lnventor: Aloys Horstmann, Greven, PrimaryBummer-Maw Stem Westphalia! Germany Assistant Exammerl )ouglas SalserAttorney, Agent, or FzrmKarl F. Ross; Herbert [73] Assignee: HamelG.m.b.H, Zwirnmaschinen, D b

44 Munster, Westphalia, Germany 22 Filed: May 29, 1973 5 1 d f M T t reaissuing mm a spmmng apparatus passes [2]] Appl- 364,537 around a driveroller on a rotatable spindle, then over a guide on an adjacent shaft.Thereafter the thread [30] Foreign A li ti p p passes from the guide toa wax body carried on the Ma 30 972 German 22263 spindle and rides overan axial end of this body. The y y spindle has an abutment defining aplane on rotation of the spindle and means is provided for urging theU.S. Cl. 1l8/78li0258c/7l30I:5 end of the y against this plane The guideis Set to the same side of the plane as the body so that the [58] Fieldof Search 118/78, 28/75 R thread has at an angle to this plane and rubsagainst 1 561 T333513? giffvii lifii l 'ifi i "2212735353? UNITED STATESPATENTS dicular to the rotation axis of the drum, and some at Coleman etal l an angle thereto The inclined grooves sc a for an in- 3,358.64112/1967 Gfelle 8/78 termittent or nonuniform (periodic) waxing of the3,373,718 3/1968 Brouwer et a1. 118/78 thread 3,479,988 11/1969 Trost etal. ll3/78 3.802.382 4/1974 Koller .1 1 18/78 13 Claims, 3 DrawingFigures l q 14 5/ 1.: I 70 5 56' iv 57 5 9/ Z 4 '5 64 C 3 lea. I I 72a,

35 i P 72b 40 L 42 4 //Zt' 2 24 APPARATUS FOR WAXING A THREAD FIELD OFTHE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for waxing athread and, more particularly, to an apparatus for waxing a threadbetween a thread plying and spinning (twisting) device and a takeupbobbin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Waxing a multiple thread greatly improvesits strength and handling characteristics. This operation is usuallycarried out immediately downstream of a thread spinner-plyer asdescribed in the commonly assigned copending patent application Ser. No.349,990 filed Apr. 1 1, 1973 by Aloys Greive and Theodor Tiemann andentitled SPINNING APPARATUS.

In known devices for waxing a thread, an annular body or paraffin intransfixed by a spindle and urged against a plate carried on thespindle. The thread is passed between the plate and the spindle in apath tangent to the spindle and lying in a plane defined by the flatsurface of the end of the wax body and the plate it abuts.

In such an arrangement the wax is quickly used up, as the thread beingwaxed literally cuts into the wax body and frequently excises smallpieces of wax which hang temporarily on the thread, thereafter fallingoff into the mechanism of the apparatus or rubbing off on the abutment.In addition the rubbing of the wax body on the plate makes this platevery messy so that it needs periodic cleaning.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved thread waxing apparatus and method.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide animproved thread-waxing apparatus which is clean in operation and easy toservice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects are attained according to thepresent invention in a thread waxing apparatus wherein the thread isguided by a pair of guides through a path which extends between theintersection of the thread and the wax body on one side and a threadguide on the other at an angle to a plane defined by an abutment on thespindle against which the wax body is urged.

According to a further feature of the invention each thread guide ismounted on a respective shaft parallel to the spindle. These shafts areeach arranged to one side of the spindle and each carries a rotatablesheavelike wheel which is rotatable and serves as a thread guide. Theone guide is located above the plane of the abutment and the other inthis plane.

in accordance with yet another feature of the present invention thespindle is provided with a drive pulley which is engaged by the threadto rotate this spindle and the wax body. The spindle is of noncircularcross section in the region of the wax body and the hole through thebody is similarly formed to prevent rotation of this wax body relativeto its spindle.

According to a further feature of my present invention the guide bodywhich is offset to the abutment plane is formed with a continuous orendless circumferential groove which at one region lies to one side ofthe plane and at another region lies to the other side of the plane.Such an arrangement allows the thread to be waxed intermittently andperiodically.

The apparatus according to the present invention waxes the thread to adegree dependent on the angle the thread assumes with respect to theabove-defined plane, means being provided according to another featureof this invention to vary this angle. The wax body does not rub againstany moving parts of the device except the thread and the spindle; thisspindle is removable so as to permit easy replacement of the wax body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features, andadvantages of the present invention will become more readily apparentfrom the following description, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view ofa thread spinning, waxing, and winding apparatusaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the thread waxing part of the device of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mounting spindle for the wax body ofthe device.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As shown in FIG. I a two-ply filament coming from aspinning apparatus 10 as described in the above-cited copending patentapplication, or as described in the related copending commonly assignedapplication Ser. No. 364,552 filed May 28, 1973 by Aloys Grieve andentitled SPINNING APPARATUS FOR GLASS- FIBER YARN passes through a guideeye 12 in line with the rotation axis of the apparatus 10. Thereafterthe thread 24 is fed to a waxing apparatus 14 described below afterwhich it passes around a lead roller 16 and thence through a reciprocaldistributor 18 onto a bobbin 22. A drum 20 driven by a motor 19 and thebobbin 22 is carried on an arm 21 pivoted about a horizontal axis sothat this bobbin bears with its weight on the drum 20 and is rotatedthereby. The roller 16, drum 20, and apparatus 14 are all carried on afixed support 17.

The waxing device 14, shown more fully in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprises asupport plate 48 secured to the support 17 and provided with tow bossesand 71 each formed with a hole carrying a respective shaft 68 and 69which can be secured in the hole by a respective screw 73 and "74. Therod 68 has an eccentric lower portion 66 on which is rotatably mounted adrum 28 formed with three guide grooves 72a, 72b, and 72c. The shaft 69rotatably carries a small wheel 34 having a circumferential guide groove35. The rotation of shaft 68, because of the eccentric 66, pennitsadjustment of the position of the axis of the drum or body 28 withrespect to the plane of the rod 68 and the axis of roller 34, so thatthe tangential condition is maintained for threads of differentthickness.

The support plate 48 is also formed with a boss 49 formed in turn with ahole 51 in which a pair of roller bearings 46 are secured by means ofsnap rings 47 and a spacer 45. A shaft 44 defining an axis A is securedto the inner races of the bearings 46 and is held in place by a plate 55secured by a knurled screw 53 in the upper end of the rod 44.

The lower end of the rod 44, as seen in FIG. 2 since in reality this rod44 extends horizontally, is snugly received in a hole 33 extendingaxially in a stepped rod 32 shown in more detail in FIG. 3. This rod 32has a region 36 of square section separated from a region 30 of adiameter equal to the diagonal dimension of the square region 36 by fourshoulders 42. The corners of the square region 36 run into the roundregion 30. Beyond this round region 30 is another round region 29 towhich another pully-like wheel 26 formed with a cir cumferential groove26 is fixed by means of a screw 25.

An annular body 38 of wax formed with a central hole of prismaticsection matching the region 36 is car ried on the rod 32. This body 38has one end 40 bearing against the shoulders 42 and defining with theseshoulders 42 on rotation of the rods 44 and 32 a plane P orthogonal tothe axis A. The other axial end 64 of the body 38 is engaged axially bya circular disk 62 of the same diameter of the body 38 and pressed by afrustoconical compression spring 60 against the body 38 to urge itagainst these shoulders 42. The other end of the spring 60 is bracedagainst a plate 58 carried on the rod 44, and the extreme end of thisspring 60 is engaged in a hole 59 in this plate 58 so as to link thespring rota tionally thereto.

The rod 44 is provided with a transverse pin 52 whose ends extendradially from the rod and engage in bayonet slots 54 of a bayonetcoupling 50 securing the rod 32 to the rod 44. This allows the wax 38 tobe changed readily.

in use the filament or thread is first wound clockwise, as shown in FIG,1, around the pulley 26 rotationally linked to the wax body 38, thencecounterclockwise around the drum 28 in one of the grooves 72ac. Thethread 24 is thence fed across the wax body 38 to the second guideroller 34. Between the first guide 28 and the body 38 the thread is fedat an angle a of about 30 to the plane P, and thence passes in the planeP to the roller 34. Of course as the wax body 38 wears, this angle awill become more flat, but the thread 24 will always define an anglewith the plane P as it comes from guide groove 72a. As the wax body isworn away it is pushed down by the spring 60. The thread 24 passes alongthe side of the spindle 32 that is rotating in a direction opposing thedirection of advance or feed of the thread, shown by arrowheads on thethread line. Thus the thread 24 is pulled tangentially against thespindle 32 so that the wax 38 is worn down evenly right in to thecenter.

In the apparatus according to the present invention the only elementengaged by the wax body 38 which is not moving with it is the thread 24.This is the only element which is supposed to be coated with wax, sothat the device is very neat,

Should the angle a need to be changed, in order to apply more or lesswax to the thread 24, this can be done by either rotating the spindle 68about its axis as shown by arrow 65, thereby displacing the drum 28laterally slightly, or by displacing it axially as shown by arrow 67.Loosening of the screw 73 is necessary in both cases to allow suchadjustment.

When the thread needs intermittent waxing, that is when the thread isnot to be waxed continuously or uniformly along its whole length, it isfed from one of the grooves 72b or 73c of the drum 28 to the body 38.These grooves are both helical on the drum, the groove 72b having awider variation, and both grooves are continuous. Thus the groove 720,for exampie, can be ar ranged so that it is bisected by the plane P, inwhich case the thread 24 is only waxed periodically. Alternativeiy thegroove could be arranged entirely above the plane P, so that the threadwill be fed to body 38 at a constantly changing angle (1. thereby givingit a nonuni form but periodically varying coating of wax I claim: 1. Anapparatus for waxing a thread being Fed be tween two locations, saidapparatus comprising:

a support, a spindle on said support having and rotatable about alongitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation aplane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body ofwax transfixed bysaid spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having oneaxial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said threadpassing over said one end;

means on and rotatable with said spindle for biasing said one endagainst said abutment, said abutment and said means constituting thesole elements axially limiting said body; and

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle apath for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one sideof plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and formingan angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of saidthread and said body.

2. The apparatus defined in claim I, further comprising means fordisplacing said one guide parallel to said axisv 3. The apparatusdefined in claim 1 wherein said means for biasing includes a secondabutment to said one side of said plane on said spindle and acompression spring between said second abutment and the other axial endof said body.

4. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations,said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axisand provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicularto said axis;

an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one sideof said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearingagainst said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means forbiasing said one end against said abutment;

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle apath for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one sideof plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and formingan angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of saidthread and said body; and

a drive roller rotationally fixed on said spindle to one side of saidplane, and means rotationally coupling said body to said spindle, saidthread drivingly engaging said drive roller to rotate said spindle as itis led between said locations.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said means rotationallycoupling said body to said spindle is a region of noncircular crosssection on said spindle within said body and a similarly shaped hole insaid body.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said region in section is apolygon whose corners lie on a circle.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said spindle also has aregion of circular section, said regions being separated axially fromeach other at said plane, said circular section having a diameter equalto the diameter of said circle.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said regions are separatedby a plurality of shoulders constituting said abutment.

9. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed be tween two locations,said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axisand provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicularto said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle andlying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at saidplane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said oneend;

means for biasing said one end against said abutment;

and a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with saidspindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lying tosaid one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of saidpplane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and theintersection of said thread and said body,

said one guide being a drum rotatable about a drum axis parallel to thespindle axis, said drum being formed with a plurality of axially spacedguided grooves,

10. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations,said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axisand provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicularto said axis;

an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one sideof said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearingagainst said abutment, said thread passing over said one end; means forbiasing said one end against said abutment;

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle apath for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one sideof plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and formingan angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of saidthread and said body, and

said one guide being rotatable about a guide axis parallel to thespindle axis and being formed with a circumferential endless groovelying to either side of and extending across a plane perpendicular tosaid guide axis.

11. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations,said apparatus comprising:

a support;

a spindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axisand provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicularto said axis;

an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one sideof said plane, said body having one axial end at said plane bearingagainst said abut merit, said thread passing over said one end; meansfor biasing said one end against said abutment;

a pair of thread guides on said support and defining with said spindle apath for said thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one sideof plane with said path lying to said one side of said plane and formingan angle therewith between said one guide and the intersection of saidthread and said body, said spindle including a pair of mating rodsections and means for securing said sections together, one of saidsections fitting within the other section, said means for securing beinga bayonet coupling between said sections.

l2. An apparatus for waxing a thread comprising:

means defining a path between two spaced apart locations and foradvancing the thread therebetween;

a rotatable spindle having an axis generally transverse to said path andformed with an abutment on one side thereof, said thread lying generallytan gential to said spindle against said abutment;

a block of wax rotatably entrained with said spindle and lying along theopposite side of said path;

means for urging an end of said block axially against the thread lyingtangential to said spindle and in the direction of said abutment;

means for rotating said spindle and said block and abutment thereon,said means for advancing said thread including a rotatable guide bodyformed with a groove receiving said thread and rotatable about an axisparallel to said spindle at one side thereof, a rotatable guide rollerformed with a groove receiving said thread and rotatable about an axisparallel to said spindle at the opposite side thereof, one of saidgrooves lying in a plane perpendicular to said axes and common to saidend of said block of wax, the other of said grooves being set back fromsaid plane away from said plane in the direction opposite that in whichsaid block is urged axially, and means for adjusting the position of atleast one of said axes in a direction perpendicular to the planethereof;

a shaft journaled on said support for rotation about an axis parallel tothe axes of said guide body and guide roller;

a spring seat on said shaft and rotatable therewith;

and

a bayonet coupling for removably attaching said spindle to said shaft,said means for axially urging said block including a coil spring bracedagainst said seat and bearing axially upon said block while sur roundingsaid shaft and said spindle in the regions of said bayonet coupling, anda disk interposed between said spring and said block, said means forrotating said shaft including a grooved pulley receiving said thread andmounted on said spindle.

13. The apparatus defined in claim [2 wherein said body is provided witha plurality of axially spaced grooves adapted to different angles of thethread with said plane perpendicular to said axes, and means forshifting said body axially to bring into play a respective groovetherein.

1. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations,said apparatus comprising: a support, a spindle on said support havingand rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutmentdefining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular bodyof wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane,said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against saidabutment, saId thread passing over said one end; means on and rotatablewith said spindle for biasing said one end against said abutment, saidabutment and said means constituting the sole elements axially limitingsaid body; and a pair of thread guides on said support and defining withsaid spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lyingto said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of saidplane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and theintersection of said thread and said body.
 2. The apparatus defined inclaim 1, further comprising means for displacing said one guide parallelto said axis.
 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means forbiasing includes a second abutment to said one side of said plane onsaid spindle and a compression spring between said second abutment andthe other axial end of said body.
 4. An apparatus for waxing a threadbeing fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: a support; aspindle on said support having and rotatable about a longitudinal axisand provided with an abutment defining on rotation a plane perpendicularto said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed by said spindle andlying to one side of said plane, said body having one axial end at saidplane bearing against said abutment, said thread passing over said oneend; means for biasing said one end against said abutment; a pair ofthread guides on said support and defining with said spindle a path forsaid thread, at least one of said guides lying to said one side of planewith said path lying to said one side of said plane and forming an angletherewith between said one guide and the intersection of said thread andsaid body; and a drive roller rotationally fixed on said spindle to oneside of said plane, and means rotationally coupling said body to saidspindle, said thread drivingly engaging said drive roller to rotate saidspindle as it is fed between said locations.
 5. The apparatus defined inclaim 4 wherein said means rotationally coupling said body to saidspindle is a region of noncircular cross section on said spindle withinsaid body and a similarly shaped hole in said body.
 6. The apparatusdefined in claim 5 wherein said region in section is a polygon whosecorners lie on a circle.
 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 whereinsaid spindle also has a region of circular section, said regions beingseparated axially from each other at said plane, said circular sectionhaving a diameter equal to the diameter of said circle.
 8. The apparatusdefined in claim 7 wherein said regions are separated by a plurality ofshoulders constituting said abutment.
 9. An apparatus for waxing athread being fed between two locations, said apparatus comprising: asupport; a spindle on said support having and rotatable about alongitudinal axis and provided with an abutment defining on rotation aplane perpendicular to said axis; an annular body of wax transfixed bysaid spindle and lying to one side of said plane, said body having oneaxial end at said plane bearing against said abutment, said threadpassing over said one end; means for biasing said one end against saidabutment; and a pair of thread guides on said support and defining withsaid spindle a path for said thread, at least one of said guides lyingto said one side of plane with said path lying to said one side of saidpplane and forming an angle therewith between said one guide and theintersection of said thread and said body, said one guide being a drumrotatable about a drum axis parallel to the spindle axis, said drumbeing formed with a plurality of axially spaced guided grooves.
 10. Anapparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations, saidapparatus comprising: a support; a spindle on said support having androtatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutmentdefining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; aN annular bodyof wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane,said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against saidabutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing saidone end against said abutment; a pair of thread guides on said supportand defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one ofsaid guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to saidone side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said oneguide and the intersection of said thread and said body, and said oneguide being rotatable about a guide axis parallel to the spindle axisand being formed with a circumferential endless groove lying to eitherside of and extending across a plane perpendicular to said guide axis.11. An apparatus for waxing a thread being fed between two locations,said apparatus comprising: a support; a spindle on said support havingand rotatable about a longitudinal axis and provided with an abutmentdefining on rotation a plane perpendicular to said axis; an annular bodyof wax transfixed by said spindle and lying to one side of said plane,said body having one axial end at said plane bearing against saidabutment, said thread passing over said one end; means for biasing saidone end against said abutment; a pair of thread guides on said supportand defining with said spindle a path for said thread, at least one ofsaid guides lying to said one side of plane with said path lying to saidone side of said plane and forming an angle therewith between said oneguide and the intersection of said thread and said body, said spindleincluding a pair of mating rod sections and means for securing saidsections together, one of said sections fitting within the othersection, said means for securing being a bayonet coupling between saidsections.
 12. An apparatus for waxing a thread comprising: meansdefining a path between two spaced apart locations and for advancing thethread therebetween; a rotatable spindle having an axis generallytransverse to said path and formed with an abutment on one side thereof,said thread lying generally tangential to said spindle against saidabutment; a block of wax rotatably entrained with said spindle and lyingalong the opposite side of said path; means for urging an end of saidblock axially against the thread lying tangential to said spindle and inthe direction of said abutment; means for rotating said spindle and saidblock and abutment thereon, said means for advancing said threadincluding a rotatable guide body formed with a groove receiving saidthread and rotatable about an axis parallel to said spindle at one sidethereof, a rotatable guide roller formed with a groove receiving saidthread and rotatable about an axis parallel to said spindle at theopposite side thereof, one of said grooves lying in a planeperpendicular to said axes and common to said end of said block of wax,the other of said grooves being set back from said plane away from saidplane in the direction opposite that in which said block is urgedaxially, and means for adjusting the position of at least one of saidaxes in a direction perpendicular to the plane thereof; a shaftjournaled on said support for rotation about an axis parallel to theaxes of said guide body and guide roller; a spring seat on said shaftand rotatable therewith; and a bayonet coupling for removably attachingsaid spindle to said shaft, said means for axially urging said blockincluding a coil spring braced against said seat and bearing axiallyupon said block while surrounding said shaft and said spindle in theregions of said bayonet coupling, and a disk interposed between saidspring and said block, said means for rotating said shaft including agrooved pulley receiving said thread and mounted on said spindle. 13.The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said body is provided with aplurality of axially spaced gRooves adapted to different angles of thethread with said plane perpendicular to said axes, and means forshifting said body axially to bring into play a respective groovetherein.